Location: Valenhart Estate Archives
The early in the next day, before the predicted arrival of the frenzied beast tide, Magda and Flora found themselves in the depths of the Valenhart Estate archives. The dimly lit room stretched endlessly, its labyrinthine shelves filled with ancient tomes and crumbling scrolls. Dust motes danced in the faint beams of light streaming through narrow windows, and the air carried the distinct scent of aged parchment and ink.
"This one looks promising," Flora murmured, carefully pulling out a brittle scroll from the shelf. She unfurled it with delicate precision, her emerald eyes scanning its contents.
Magda leaned closer, her crimson eyes narrowing. "What does it say?" she asked, her voice tight with anticipation.
"It's a prophecy," Flora replied, her tone heavy. "The Ice Phoenix's rebirth is tied to a twenty-year cycle of mana going rogue. But this version…" She trailed off, frowning. "It's different from what Fredrick told us."
Magda's fingers tightened on the edge of the scroll. "How?"
Flora's voice dropped to a whisper. "Every time this calamity occurred, the Valenharts mitigated it by sacrificing the Ice Phoenix. Without the sacrifice, devastation was inevitable."
Magda's breath hitched as she processed the revelation. "That can't be right," she muttered, though the timelines aligned too perfectly to dismiss. Her hands trembled as she read further, noting a critical detail in the scroll. "It says the Ice Phoenix isn't reborn as a phoenix." She looked up at Flora, her voice rising in urgency. "It takes the form of a native northern animal each time."
Flora frowned, her expression thoughtful as she leaned closer. "That complicates things. If it's not a phoenix, it could be anything—a wolf, a fox, a hare. How are we supposed to find it without the Phoenix tracker?"
The scroll described a mana-tracking device containing a fragment of the Ice Phoenix's mana. This device had been used for generations by the Valenharts to locate the Ice Phoenix during its rebirth.
Magda's gaze fell on a glass orb-like device that sat shattered in the center of the table. She reached for it, her voice sharp. "This… this is the Phoenix tracker."
Flora picked up a shard, inspecting it closely. Her tone grew grim. "But it's broken beyond repair. Someone destroyed it deliberately." Her voice lowered as she wondered aloud, "Who would do this?"
The two women exchanged a tensed glance, their resolve solidifying despite the mounting uncertainty.
Location: Valenhart Estate, Tower Balcony
Under the moonlit sky, Magda stood clutching the prophecy scroll, the cold wind biting at her cheeks as she gazed out over the snowy expanse of Altona. The air carried an ominous stillness, a foreboding weight pressing down on her chest. Behind her, Micheal's steady footsteps echoed as he joined her on the balcony.
"You're up late," Micheal observed, his tone light but curious.
Magda turned to face him, her posture stiff. The memory of her failed attempt at seduction lingered, making her feel exposed. "I couldn't sleep," she admitted. She hesitated before adding, "You… you didn't have to join me."
Micheal offered her a gentle smile. "It's fine," he said softly. "I can't just leave someone looking so lost, can I?"
Magda's cheeks flushed slightly as she turned away from him. But then she decided to face him regarding her actions from the day before. She couldn't keep avoiding him forever. "I'm sorry about last night," she said awkwardly, her voice barely above a whisper. "You don't have to stay out here with me. You should go inside."
Micheal leaned casually against the stone railing. "People behave differently when drunk," he said, his tone calm and understanding.
Magda flinched inwardly. His words dismissed her actions as impulsive, when in truth, they had been deliberate. "I suppose that's true," she murmured, though her voice carried a note of sadness.
For a moment, silence hung between them. Magda felt that she needed to consult someone about the storm brewing inside her.
Finally, Magda broke it. "The frenzied beasts, the pandemic, the mana fluctuations… they're all connected to a phenomenon that happens every twenty years. The previous Dukes of Valenhart… they mitigated it by killing a supernatural entity called the Ice Phoenix." She gripped the scroll tighter, her knuckles white. "But now… we have no Ice Phoenix. And without it, I don't know how to stop what's coming."
Micheal's brows furrowed, his expression thoughtful. "Is there no alternative?" he asked gently.
Magda shook her head, her voice trembling. "None that we know of. And time… it's running out."
Magda stood by the railing, her mind still considering possibilities when she felt a sudden warmth engulf her. Micheal stepped closer, wrapping his arms around her from behind in a comforting gesture. "You're always so worried," he murmured softly. "It's okay to take a moment to breathe. You're not alone in this. There's me, your father, and so many others willing to stand with you."
Magda stiffened at first, unused to such closeness, but Micheal's calm tone softened her tension. "I don't know why," she admitted quietly, "but I've always felt this duty—this obligation—to live and die for this land. Even before anyone knew I was a princess."
Micheal's expression shifted, but he said nothing, a faint premonition flickering at the edges of his thoughts. He didn't have time to dwell on it.
The moment was broken by the sound of hurried footsteps and the sharp knock of a messenger at the balcony door. The young aide handed Micheal an urgent missive, his expression tense.
Micheal unfolded the letter swiftly, his jaw tightening as he read. "I have to go," he said, turning to Magda. "Your father has summoned me to the war room."
Magda's crimson eyes clouded with worry, her grip on the scroll tightening further. "Be careful," she said softly.
Micheal paused, glancing back over his shoulder. "Always," he replied with a faint smile, before disappearing into the night.
In the quiet that followed, the icy wind howled around Magda, carrying with it a sense of inevitability. The scroll trembled in her hands as she stared out at the endless snowfields, her mind spinning with the implications of the prophecy. Somewhere, in the vast expanse, the storm was already gathering.